


Freckles

by Blondehairstripe



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe/Timeline, F/M, Fluff, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:33:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26311945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blondehairstripe/pseuds/Blondehairstripe
Summary: Rapunzel’s head tipped to the side curiously. "Varian? What are you doing?""Oh! Uh," Varian turned his head away and fiddled with his corner of his apron. "I was just—I was…well…counting your freckles."
Relationships: Rapunzel/Varian (Disney)
Comments: 106
Kudos: 73





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set in a slightly altered timeline before the events of Cassandra’s Revenge. Varian is freshly 18 as of the start of Season 3 and was promoted to royal engineer following the events of Be Very Afraid. Additionally, Rapunzel and Eugene are simply friends in this timeline.
> 
> With those clarifications out of the way, onward we ride!

Varian needed fresh air and sunlight.

At least, that was what Rapunzel had told him when she’d come to see him in his lab earlier that day.

Varian’s lab in the basement of the castle had a few windows high on the walls to allow a little bit of daylight to stream in, but Rapunzel insisted he needed to get out and into the fresh air. And of course he knew she was right; vitamin D was important for regulating calcium and maintaining the phosphorus levels in blood. He just…had a bad habit of getting wrapped up in his projects and forgetting to take time to get more fresh air than a cracked window could provide.

Clearly thinking he needed more incentive than her word alone, Rapunzel had pulled a basket out from behind her back and waggled it at him temptingly, telling him she had ham sandwiches and fresh-pressed cider that he could share with her. That is, if he could bring himself to step away from his latest project and come outside with her.

But honestly…Rapunzel really hadn’t needed to promise him food to get him to come with her. All she had to do was ask and Varian would have happily followed her anywhere. But he knew how she loved to plan events, even if it was something as small as a picnic on her balcony. So he’d gone along with her ploy, making a show of hemming and hawing over the decision before ultimately agreeing, much to the princess’s delight.

Now Varian found himself sitting in companionable silence with Rapunzel, soaking in the warmth of the sunlight that she’d insisted he needed. Even the bench they sat on was warm, making for a relaxed atmosphere, their empty plates and glasses stashed away in the basket.

He really did enjoy the moments he got to spend alone with Rapunzel.

Glancing over at the princess, it occurred to him that the sunlight really highlighted the freckles on her face. As his eyes traced over the tiny markings splashed across the bridge of her nose and cheeks, he absently began to tally how many there were.

Rapunzel’s head tipped to the side curiously. "Varian? What are you doing?"

With a jolt, the alchemist realized he’d been mumbling his count under his breath, and his cheeks heated. "Oh! Uh," He turned his head away and fiddled with his corner of his apron. "I was just—I was…well…counting your freckles."

"Oh!" Rapunzel gave a light laugh. "How many did you count?"

"Ah, well…" And suddenly Varian was blanking on the answer to that question. How many _had_ he counted? "I kinda lost count just now?" he admitted, rubbing the back of his head and laughing sheepishly. 

Smiling, Rapunzel sat forward, moving a few inches closer to him. "Want to try again?"

"Oh!" Varian sat up a little straighter, pleasantly surprised at her response. "S-sure! Um..." He lifted his hand, fingers hovering just a few inches from her cheek. "Do you mind if I—?"

"Not at all." She closed her eyes and raised her chin slightly, trying to give him a better angle and some better light. "Is this okay?"

Varian grinned a little, even if she couldn’t see it. "Perfect." He gently placed a finger on her cheek, running the tip over each freckle as he softly counted them under his breath.

The corner of Rapunzel’s mouth twitched into a hint of a smile at the light tickling sensation, but otherwise she held perfectly still for him. 

When he’d finished, Varian’s finger lingered for perhaps a few seconds longer than absolutely necessary before he let it slide from her cheek. "Okay, the results are in, and it looks like you have seventy-three freckles on your face!" he declared.

Opening her eyes, Rapunzel smiled back at him, her hand finding his just briefly enough to give it a squeeze. “Seventy-three? Gosh…and that's just on my face!" She put her own hands to her face, fingers running over the bridge of her nose.

Now _that_ piqued Varian’s interest. "You have freckles other places?" he asked, unable to curb his curiosity. Then he realized how that probably sounded and he blushed. "N-not that I'm trying to pry or anything, it's just that I have freckles other places too and—" He snapped his mouth shut, not wanting to dig a deeper hole.

Rapunzel gave a light laugh, waving his embarrassment off. "My shoulders! From what I can tell in the mirror, anyway!" She tugged at her collar a bit, grinning. "Not that anyone can tell, in this dress. Maybe what I wore when I was stuck on Terapi Island."

Varian’s head tilted to the side, his brain swimming with ideas of what an outfit like _that_ must have looked like. He knew that Terapi Island had a tropical climate, which likely meant that Rapunzel had chosen something with less…material to deal with the heat.

It took him a few seconds to realize he was unabashedly staring at Rapunzel’s shoulders and chest, and he quickly snapped his eyes back to her face, the tops of his ears reddening. "W-well, that was probably a...very nice dress," he said, then mentally kicked himself for saying something so lame.

Rapunzel seemingly paid no mind to his staring, though. "Oh, it was! I liked it a lot," she mused. "Maybe I should wear it again soon?" She leaned back on her hands, looking thoughtful. "It is getting warmer out..."

Varian let out a nearly imperceptible sigh of relief, glad she’d flowed with his awkward response. In fact…maybe this could be a chance for him to see the dress? He’d really like to. "Well, I mean..." He clasped his hands and twiddled his thumbs a little. "If you... _want_ to wear it I don't see why you shouldn't..."

Rapunzel sat up straight and grabbed his hands, catching Varian off guard. "You know what...you're right!" She beamed at him. "Here—how about I change, and you tell me what you think? It's just…a little different from what's usually worn, you know? I don't want to give my dad a heart attack."

Varian’s own heart skipped a beat at the thought of seeing her in something her father wouldn’t approve of. Just how much skin did this dress _show_? But he returned her smile nonetheless. "Oh, yeah—okay! I'll uh, just wait here..."

"Great!" Rapunzel hopped up and practically bounded back into the window behind them. "Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right back!" 

As he watched the curtains snap shut behind her, Varian idly wondered how he would even do that, since her room was the only way off the balcony short of jumping. Though his eagerness to see this mysterious dress would have kept him from leaving regardless.

He only had to wait a few minutes before he heard the window creak open again, and he turned to see Rapunzel stepping out onto the balcony. It took a conscious effort on Varian’s part to keep his jaw from dropping.

She looked _amazing_ in that dress. The completely bare shoulders, the soft green color that made her eyes pop and her skin seem to glow...and was that a hint of midriff?

"What do you think?" Rapunzel asked, placing her hands on her hips and swiveling a little to each side, her long braid swaying with the movement.

"Beautiful..." Varian murmured softly, then realized what he'd let slip and quickly brought a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat loudly. "I mean uh...the-the _color_ looks really great on you! Green…ah, really brings out your eyes!"

Sure, the dress wasn’t exactly what he’d envisioned in his head—his imaginings jumping straight to some of the racier beachwear he’d seen in illustrations—but he wasn’t disappointed in the slightest.

"Gosh…thank you, Varian." Rapunzel smiled shyly, before taking a moment to turn around fully, glancing over her shoulder to her back. "You don't think it's too…well. Not enough?"

"I..." Varian swallowed as he gave his response a moment’s thought, wanting to make sure he didn’t blurt out something embarrassing again. "Well, personally...I think it really suits you, Rapunzel." He gave her a crooked grin. "If my opinion counts for anything, anyway." Because what did he know about what princesses should wear?

"Of course your opinion counts, Varian." She took her seat beside him again, hands folded into her lap. "And I appreciate it! Especially since it's so sweet." She teasingly bumped his shoulder with hers. "Thank you."

Varian’s smile widened, cheeks flushing at the validation that his opinion truly mattered. Then his eyes trailed down to her shoulders. “Oh wow, you really do have freckles on your shoulders! Oh uh, not that I didn't believe you, but..." He gestured vaguely with one hand. "Well, you know."

Rapunzel chuckled, amused, though Varian could tell she wasn’t making fun of him. "I know what you mean," she assured him. "You've just never seen them before! Honestly, I think I ended up with _more_ freckles after I wore this a while." She craned her neck to try to look at one of her shoulders, brows raised. "Or maybe I just never looked too closely."

Varian tilted his head appraisingly. "You've actually got some on your back too."

"I do?" Rapunzel’s neck craned even further as she tried to peer over her own shoulder.

Without even thinking, Varian reached around and placed a hand on her upper back, tracing a line down the light brown speckles to the edge of her top. "Yeah, they seem to go all the way down to..." He jolted when he realized that maybe he shouldn’t be touching her bare skin like this, regardless of the fact that he was wearing gloves.

His eyes darted up to hers, his hand frozen in place.

But Rapunzel simply offered him a lopsided smile, though her face was a bit flushed. "I guess I have more than I thought, huh?"

"Y-yeah," Varian agreed, blushing as he finally pulled his hand away. Touching her bare skin like that...what had _possessed_ him to do that? "Way more than on your face, anyway."

"Do you want to count them too?" Rapunzel asked with a teasing grin. "Or should I count yours? You have them too, you know!"

Varian face heated even more at the thought of Rapunzel counting _his_ freckles. Especially since he knew he had small dustings of them pretty much all over his body.

Shaking _that_ mental image, he deliberately set his mind back to thinking about Rapunzel’s freckles instead of his own. She was pretty much offering to let him continue counting…and why not take her up on the offer? He _was_ curious…

"W-well, I mean... _not_ counting them would make it so we'd have...uh...inconclusive data about how many freckles you have," he reasoned aloud, half for his own sake and half for hers. "So..." He gestured at her shoulders. "We...I mean... _I_ can count them for you. Since uh...you have trouble seeing them and all." He gave a nervous chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck. Then he bit his lip. Okay, maybe he was going a little bit too far…was he coming off too eager?

"Well, when you put it that way," Rapunzel said, the teasing lilt in her voice making Varian perk up slightly. Placing her hands on the bench, the princess pivoted her upper body to face him completely, her head tilting to one side. "So…do you want to start with my shoulders first? I mean. We _do_ need complete data."

Varian’s mouth drifted open in shock, amazed that she was actually agreeing. But his shock was swiftly overtaken by excitement, because wow, she was okay with this! "S-sure! Okay then..."

He cleared his throat and made an effort to compose himself. He had _data_ to collect. This was…nothing more than a scientific study! Same as studying her hair all those years ago, because he’d certainly had _no_ thoughts about touching her soft skin back then.

Not a one. For sure.

The alchemist brought one hand up to her shoulder, then paused as he glanced at her, silently asking permission to touch her again.

Rapunzel sat up a little straighter for him, shoulders squared. "I'm ready when you are." She smiled at him reassuringly.

That was all the go-ahead Varian needed, and he nodded before placing his fingers against the light dusting of freckles on the right side of her neck—he decided to start from there and move down to her shoulder.

Using his free hand, he brushed her hair out of the way so it didn’t cast a shadow as he gently ran a finger over each freckle. As he leaned in for a better view, he noticed how she nice smelled—fresh and sweet, like sunshine, flowers, and honey. It was a pleasant change from the scent of chemicals and metal that permeated his lab, and one he always relished whenever he could get this close to her.

Finished with counting the freckles on her right shoulder, Varian slid his fingers across her collarbone to her left shoulder. Rapunzel shivered and released a soft tittering breath, and he cast a quick glance at her face, only to see her lightly pressing her lips together as she did her best to contain a giggle.

Maybe his touch was too light and was tickling her? 

Varian chewed his lip before tentatively putting just a little more pressure as he moved his finger again, and was surprised when Rapunzel’s breath left her in something that could almost be mistaken for a sigh. He paused for just a second, then changed up the pressure again, making careful note of how the princess’s breath hitched ever so slightly.

Fascinated and encouraged by her reactions, along with the fact that she didn’t seem to have a problem with what he was doing, Varian soon found himself experimenting with different amounts of pressure as he moved his fingers from one freckle to the next, listening closely to the changes in Rapunzel’s breathing. She’d get just a little giggly at the lighter touches, while firmer pressure seemed to make her breath tremble slightly.

All too soon, Varian ran out of freckles to count on her shoulders. His eyes briefly flicked to the freckles flecking the skin beneath her collarbone, before quickly deciding that her back was the safer option. Putting a mental pin in his tally, he gave Rapunzel’s shoulder a light squeeze to signal he was moving as he stood from the bench and circled around behind her.

Smiling, Rapunzel lightly bit her lower lip as she turned her head to glance at him, moving her braid over her shoulder to give him access to her back.

Still hardly believing that she was letting him do this, Varian reached forward to touch her back, but then paused. Maybe it was impulsive, but…

Taking hold of his glove, he tugged it off, letting it drop to the ground with a muted rustle of cloth and leather. Then he carefully laid his hand on her back, biting his lip as Rapunzel shivered under his touch, a tiny gasp escaping her.

Varian leaned forward, his expression earnest even though she couldn’t see it. "You okay?" he asked softly. He was pretty sure she was still fine with this, but he didn’t want to cross a line.

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm all right." Rapunzel gave him a sheepish smile over her shoulder, one hand stroking her braid. "Don't let me distract you!"

Encouraged, Varian returned her smile before turning his attention to her back once more. She had a decent number of freckles flecked across her upper back, and he took his time counting and memorizing each one. As he neared the edge of her top, he glanced down at the exposed skin peeking out from between where her top ended and her skirt began, and his breath caught.

There were _freckles_ there. Which meant…there were more to count _under_ her clothes. Of course he’d suspected as much, but seeing proof in the form of a tantalizing glimpse of the skin of her lower back made his pulse quicken.

Rapunzel turned her head to glance at him again. "Why did you stop?" she asked curiously. "Did you get them all?"

Varian swallowed hard. "Um...no. I mean _yes_. Th-that is...I counted everything that's uh...that I can _see_..."

There was a beat of silence as Rapunzel nibbled at her bottom lip. Then she spoke, "Well, I can…move my top. If you want! I mean."

"M-move—?" Varian squeaked, before clearing his throat. "You mean uh...you want me to…keep going?"

"Well…you did say we can't have incomplete data." Rapunzel offered another shy smile, then shrugged. "I mean—unless you're done!"

"No no!" he quickly assured her. He’d have to be crazy to give up this opportunity! "I just don't want to do anything that—that you're not okay with."

Rapunzel’s smile warmed as she gazed at him fondly. "I'm okay with it. It's _you_ , Varian."

Varian’s expression softened as he gazed back at her, touched that she put so much trust in him. He would never do anything to break that—

A rustle of cloth snapped him back to reality, and he glanced down to see that while he’d been lost in thought, Rapunzel had opened her top and maneuvered it backwards, her arms crossed to hold the green cloth to her chest, leaving her back completely exposed to him.

Varian’s face heated like a furnace. Wow, that was a lot of skin.

Slowly, he slid his fingers down into territory he'd assumed was forbidden until this moment. The freckles were less numerous, but definitely still present.

The way Rapunzel lightly quivered beneath his finger tips and how her own thumb rubbed circles into her arm told him just how okay she was with what he was doing, giving him the confidence to touch her in ways that made her breath hitch.

Given the work he did with serums, Varian knew a fair amount about human anatomy, and recalled reading a book about pressure points. Curious to test his knowledge, he brought his thumb to rest against one such point on Rapunzel’s back and cautiously rolled the digit into her soft skin.

The resulting breathy gasp sent a shiver down his own spine, and when she didn’t turn to rebuke him, he smiled a little before repeating the movement more firmly.

Rapunzel’s head tipped back slightly as she leaned into his touch. Reading her response as a go-ahead, Varian brought his other hand to her back, kneading and rolling his fingers into every pressure point he could recall, making note of which spots made the princess’s breath hitch or could coax a soft moan out of her.

Frankly, it was amazing he was still able to keep track of her freckles regardless of becoming so thoroughly sidetracked.

When he finished tallying the freckles on her back, Varian brought his hands to the princess’s shoulders and worked his thumbs into the muscles there. Sure, maybe this wasn’t really part of the data gathering process, but she seemed to like it so…what was the harm?

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than Rapunzel leaned back into him with a sigh. He glanced down just in time to see her arms uncross, her top slipping dangerously low to reveal the soft swell of her breasts.

Varian choked a little and tore his eyes from the sight. It was only a brief glimpse, but it was enough to make his face burn, and he shifted his lower body away from Rapunzel to make sure she wouldn’t feel just how much it had effected him.

His choked noise and tightening grip roused Rapunzel from her contented state. "Varian—?" Then she glanced down and noticed that her top had slipped, and with a squeak she clapped her arms back over her chest, holding it close. "I—um. Sorry!"

Her apology snapped Varian out of his own stupor. "Wha—? N-no, you don't have to...no Rapunzel, don't be sorry! I—uh..." He quickly bit his tongue, silencing himself before he could reassure her that he’d _liked_ it, because that would sound creepy. "It's...fine?" he offered instead, turning and sitting on the bench beside her, though he remained facing the castle walls. He didn’t want her to see the slight protrusion under his apron before he could adjust himself to hide it.

"It is?" Rapunzel turned to look at him, her arms still tightly crossed and unwittingly creating cleavage that made Varian swallow hard. "I just...I forgot, and didn't realize..."

Varian shook his head, feeling like a fool. He shouldn’t have gotten carried away like that just because she’d responded positively. "No, it was—it was my fault. I shouldn’t have been, um…" He gave her shoulder a fleeting squeeze to illustrate his point. "…y’know?"

"No! No, I didn't mind!" Rapunzel assured him. "It…it felt very nice, Varian." She laughed a little, using one hand to brush her braid over her shoulder to fall against her back again. "I guess I should have just…kept a tighter hold on my clothes."

Varian caught himself thinking that he wouldn’t mind too much if she didn’t, but quickly admonished himself. But…the fact that she admitted that she liked it made his heart give a hopeful little flutter. She seemed more flustered than upset, but he didn’t want to push anything and make her uncomfortable. 

"So…” He turned his head to the side and rubbed his neck. "Do you...want me to stop? Uh, _counting_ , I mean."

Rapunzel was quiet for a moment, her face still a bit flushed. "…no," she finally decided with a small smile. "I...I don't want you to stop. Counting, that is."

Varian wasn’t able to keep from smiling—he’d really hoped she'd say something like that. 

"Okay then, well...I'm done back here..." Lifting his legs, he carefully swiveled himself around on the bench, adjusting his apron to keep his… _excitement_ hidden before fully facing her. "I guess these are next then." He gently touched a light patch of freckles on her collarbone.

"Oh…alright." Rapunzel smiled, folding one leg beneath her so she could turn to face him fully. She kept her arms crossed, holding her top tight against her.

Varian wondered if she knew she was just creating more cleavage by pressing her arms so tightly, and it took some effort to keep his eyes solely on her freckles as he drew his fingers across her skin, his heart rate steadily increasing the lower they traveled.

His eyes flicked up to check her expression, then widened when he saw her watching him with the ghost of a smile quirking the corners of her lips. He sucked in a breath. She was actually, truly _okay_ with this.

Encouraged, he finally traced his finger down into the cleavage peeking out from her neckline, gently prodding in search of any hidden freckles. He bit his lip. She was so _soft_.

Rapunzel shifted slightly. "Do you…need me to move anything?" she asked, her cheeks tinted a soft pink.

The question caught Varian off guard, and he paused. The last time she’d asked if she should move something, he’d been given unfettered access to her bare back. So if she was asking, and even _willing_ to move her clothing again…

That meant she’d be _topless_.

It wasn’t often that Varian’s brain ceased to function properly, but for a few seconds he couldn’t manage to conjure up a single coherent thought, instead only aware of this one fact and the mental image it evoked from the brief glimpse he’d been afforded moments before.

Then his brain kicked back into gear, and he decided that yes, he’d very much like for her to move her top. She was offering…and still waiting for an answer, actually.

He curled a finger to hook into the material of her top, his knuckle brushing into her cleavage. "I mean...if we want to gather all of the data..." He gave the material a light tug, hinting at what he wanted.

A pretty blush spread across Rapunzel’s cheeks, and she nibbled her bottom lip before slowly sliding her top down another inch, stopping just shy of fully revealing herself. But Varian certainly wasn’t complaining, captivated by the rounded swell of her breasts.

With just a hint of awe, he traced his fingers over the soft flesh. There were only a few light freckles to count, but at this point Varian wasn’t strictly abiding by his original plan to only touch her freckles. 

Then, carefully so as to not spook her, he allowed his palm to come into contact with the clothed part of the princess’s breast, his eyes fixed on her face to gauge her reaction.

Rapunzel’s breathy sigh and the way her back arched ever so slightly made Varian grin—she actually _wanted_ this. So he pressed his palm more fully into her breast and gave a purposeful squeeze that elicited a soft moan. Varian’s stomach swooped at that sound, and his other hand moved to give her unattended breast the same treatment.

Then he noticed he was still wearing his glove on that hand, and not wanting to be robbed of the sensation of touching her, he grabbed the tip of the glove’s middle finger with his teeth to pull it off.

Rapunzel’s breath hitched, and Varian glanced up to see that her eyes were fixed on his gloved hand, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. And suddenly he wasn’t in such a hurry to remove it, taking his time pulling it free from his hand as the princess looked on with rapt attention.

Regrettably, he had to remove his hand from her breast to finish pulling off the glove, and he tossed it aside to join its mate on the ground.

But before he could cup her breasts again, Rapunzel’s arms slowly uncrossed, allowing her top to slide down and drop into her lap.

Varian sucked in a sharp breath, unable to tear his eyes away. "Rapunzel..." he whispered under his breath, completely awestruck.

Rapunzel grinned sheepishly, her fingers curling into the material of her skirt. "You…don't mind, Varian? You—um, I mean, we need to complete your research, right...?"

Varian gave an enthusiastic nod. "Of—of course! Yes, ah…this is..." He looked up into her eyes again, giving her a soft, crooked grin. "Perfect."

 _She_ was perfect.

Rapunzel laughed a little, and before Varian knew what hit him she’d grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him into a kiss.

Shocked, Varian’s eyes flew wide, trying to understand what was happening. But as the princess’s soft lips moved against his, he melted, his eyes drifting to a half-lidded state as he brought up a hand to gently touch her cheek.

One of Rapunzel’s hands lifted to cover his, and she kissed him for just a moment longer before pulling back, her eyes soft. "Yeah…perfect," she murmured dreamily, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles.

Face flushed and short on breath from the unexpected kiss, Varian smiled as he gazed at her adoringly. There was no doubt in his mind.

He loved everything about Rapunzel, even down to her last freckle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned…things are gonna get spicy~


	2. Chapter 2

Rapunzel hadn’t exactly expected things to _escalate_ so quickly during her little picnic with Varian. But…that was a _good_ thing! Honestly, she couldn’t have planned things out better if she’d tried. 

When she and Eugene had decided to break up during their journey to the Dark Kingdom, she hadn’t had any other prospects in mind; she’d only known that she needed to experience love with more than just one person before choosing who she wanted to be with. After all, how was she supposed to know if Eugene was _the_ one if he was the _only_ one she’d ever known?

And then…Varian had come back into her life.

At the time, she’d had no idea why she’d felt a fluttering warmth in her chest when he’d locked eyes with her through the billowing smoke that day in the throne room. Perhaps it was because he was so much taller than she’d remembered. Or maybe it was because he’d filled out, no longer the gangly 16-year-old she’d last seen being hauled away in a paddy wagon. But she’d pushed the feeling aside, focused on stopping him in order to free her kingdom.

But then he’d surprised her again, showing remorse for his actions and turning against the Saporians for her, even though he’d held all the cards and had her at his mercy. After that, well…she’d been much more receptive to letting that warm feeling grow into something more as they reacquainted themselves in the following months.

Slowly but surely, she’d fallen for him—his kindness, his awkward sincerity, his creativity and intelligence—there was _so_ much about him that was endearing and exciting. And while she wasn’t always the best at picking up subtle social cues, there had been plenty of hints that his own interest in her wasn’t strictly platonic, from the way he’d absolutely light up when she walked into a room to how he’d blush and quickly avert his eyes if she caught him staring.

In hindsight, giving him the title of royal engineer for subduing the red rocks and then gifting him with a lab in the castle for his 18th birthday might not have been solely for his benefit. But the idea of him working in the castle so she could see him every day had been too tempting to pass up. Besides, she knew he deserved the position—Corona’s history books had records of people receiving noble titles for _much_ less.

And now he was here with her, looked at her with such rapt adoration that it made her heart race, and she wanted nothing more than for things to _continue_ progressing between them.

It was just too bad fate had other plans. 

“Bra~ak!”

“Gah! Wha—g-get off!!” Varian flailed, trying to dislodge the scruffy crow who had decided to land on his head, claws tangling with his hair and goggles.

“Oh, Hamuel!” Rapunzel exclaimed, before remembering her state of undress and snatching up her top, pulling around herself like a small jacket. “What are you—wait, hold still Varian—okay, shoo, _shoo_!”

Her gentle shooing motion seemed to do the trick, and Hamuel fluttered off of Varian’s head to relocate to the balcony railing, where he proceeded to hang upside down and give a contented caw.

Scowling, Varian attempted to pat down his tousled hair, and Rapunzel giggled, reaching up to fix his lopsided goggles for him, her other hand still holding her top closed.

“Well, that was…unexpected,” she said, before standing and taking his hand. “Come on, let’s go inside.”

Varian heaved a sigh, disappointed that the moment had been ruined…and that Rapunzel’s top had gone back on. But he managed a weak smile as he allowed her to pull him to his feet and lead him back into her room. At least the crow attack—yes _attack_ , he refused to see it as anything else—had rid him of the tent beneath his apron.

Once they were inside, Rapunzel let go of his hand and fiddled with her top a bit. “Could you shut the window for me?” she asked.

“Sure…” Varian turned and pulled the tall windows closed, his eyes narrowing at Hamuel as he watched the avian placidly peck his own toes free of the banister one by one. “Dumb bird…” he grumbled, and snapped the curtains shut for good measure, not wanting to look at the animal who’d cost him his moment with Rapunzel.

“Oh, _Varian_ ~” came Rapunzel’s playful voice from behind him.

Confused, he turned to look at her, then sucked in a tight breath at the sight of the princess perched on the edge of her bed, her expression coy as she slowly shrugged out of her top and dropped it to the floor. Then she crooked an inviting finger at him, and all thoughts of meddlesome birds were completely banished from his mind.

Rapunzel giggled, endeared by Varian’s eagerness as he nearly tripped over himself to get to her. If he had a tail it would definitely be wagging. She raised her hands to cup his face as he planted his hands on either side of her, pulling him into a sweet kiss.

Varian couldn’t contain a soft moan as she lightly sucked at his bottom lip. Then her fingers were trailing from his cheeks to his neck, then to his vest, and his breath caught when she popped the top button.

Breaking the kiss, Rapunzel leaned back slightly, rubbing her palms over his chest as she looked up at him from beneath lowered lashes. “It’s only fair…” she murmured, and he nodded dumbly, his heart beating a tattoo against his ribs as her slim fingers worked their way down, popping the buttons open with practiced ease.

When she reached his belt, Rapunzel didn’t hesitate to tug both his vest and shirt free of his pants. Finding his consequential blush adorable, she leaned in to kiss him again as she tackled his shirt buttons next.

There was a part of Varian that couldn’t believe this was actually happening. Here he was kissing the girl of his dreams, alone in her bedroom, with her _topless_ and apparently determined to make him match her half-dressed state. One of his hands moved to cup the back of her neck, and he shifted as close to her as he could without impeding her progress with his shirt, losing himself in the softness of her lips.

While not especially experienced—meaning, he hadn’t actually kissed anyone before—Varian was fairly well read on the subject of, ah, intimate relations. Hey, he was a teenager with a thirst for knowledge, what did people expect? He just hoped the head knowledge he’d accumulated from an eclectic mix of romance novels and medical texts would translate as well to kissing as it did to back massages, and he tentatively ran his tongue along the seam of Rapunzel’s lips.

The soft, surprised noise Rapunzel gave made him tense, but then her lips parted for him, and his stomach swooped with excitement at her unspoken permission to deepen the kiss.

Rapunzel was pleasantly surprised by Varian’s initiative as he deepened the kiss, his tongue eagerly exploring. She’d assumed he wouldn’t be very experienced, but it turned out he was either a natural or just so smart and intuitive that he could figure things out as he went. Or maybe he was all of those things! Either way, it felt _very_ nice, and it excited her to know that she would get to experience so many of his firsts with him.

Eugene had been…experienced, which had been very helpful in teaching her the nuances of bedroom activities but…he had been _so_ set in his way of doing things. There was just something about the idea of figuring things out together that appealed to Rapunzel greatly, and with Varian, she could do that.

For a moment, she allowed Varian to explore with minimal interference, nearly giggling at the thought that he might actually be studying her. Without warning, she closed her lips around his tongue and gave a hard suck, humming a laugh at how he jolted slightly. Then she squeaked when she suddenly found herself on her back, staring up at Varian as he panted over her, his face flushed. Her gaze travelled down the line of his open shirt, and she bit her lip before looking into his eyes again.

“Too much?” she asked softly, reaching a hand to caress his cheek.

Varian quickly shook his head, and Rapunzel smiled as she pressed a hand to his chest and pushed herself back up again. “It’s okay, Varian, we can go as slow as you need.”

Slow? Oh, that was hardly what he wanted—Varian had just needed a moment to process what she’d done to his _tongue_. It had felt amazing, and he wanted _more_.

The hand on his chest slid into the opening of his shirt, and Varian’s breath caught at the electrifying feeling of her fingers tracing along the bare skin of his collarbone. Was this how she’d felt when he’d touched her?

“Oh, so you really _do_ have freckles ‘other places,’” Rapunzel teased him, and his blush darkened at the reference to his awkward commentary earlier.

“I—” he started, then let out a gasp when she leaned down and kissed the freckled skin at the base of his throat.

“Mm, and so _many_ ,” she continued, the hand at his chest slipping around to his back, her fingers moving in little shapes between his shoulder blades. “I wonder if you have more than I do?” She pressed a slow line of kisses up his neck.

“ _Rapunzel_ …” he breathed, his head tipping back and eyes closing. He wound his arms around her, pulling her close as he moved a hand to comb through her hair. When his fingers snagged on the beads holding the golden strands in place he didn’t think twice about tugging them free.

Rapunzel paused, glancing over her shoulder to watch the beads scatter across the bedspread and floor. Then she shrugged, deciding she'd worry about it later, and turned to nuzzle back into Varian’s neck, kissing the curve of his shoulder before gently bearing down with her teeth and sucking at the skin.

Heat shot up Varian’s spine at the feeling of her teeth against his skin, and Rapunzel squeaked again as he nearly bowled her over, her hair sprawling across the sheets as he crawled onto the bed to hover over her.

It was _his_ turn now.

Rapunzel’s cheeks heated as she stared up at him with wide green eyes. Apparently he’d liked that more than she’d thought he would, and she bit her lip with a small smile, excited by her discovery.

Varian’s eyes were drawn to where she’d caught her lower lip between her teeth, and that was all the incentive he needed to press his mouth to hers before trailing his lips across her cheek to the corner of her jaw. He nuzzled into her, taking in her sweet scent as he felt her arms wrap around his shoulders.

Rapunzel sighed and tilted her head to the side, signaling her willingness to have him continue. He happily obliged, working his mouth down the column of her neck, following the same path his fingers had taken when he’d tallied the freckles flecking her sun-kissed skin.

Much like before, he experimented with different kinds of pressure and touch, alternating between pressing feather light kisses and lightly grazing her with his teeth, occasionally pausing to gently suck at the warm flesh. He enjoyed every breathy gasp and soft moan Rapunzel made in response, and especially reveled in her small cry when he nipped the juncture of her neck and shoulder. That earned him a sharp tug to the back of his head as she fisted his hair, and he gasped against her.

Rapunzel squirmed beneath him, face flushed and heart pounding. She’d assumed Varian would be skilled with his hands, but it turned out he was pretty good with his _mouth_ too. Maybe even more—

A tentative squeeze of her breast halted that line of thought, and Rapunzel’s back arched as she let out a surprised, “Oh!”

Varian’s hand quickly lifted from her breast, and he pulled back to look down at her, his brows creased with uncertainty. “R-Rapunzel?” he asked, worried that he’d just done something very stupid.

She seized his hand and brought it right back to her chest, giving him an encouraging smile. “Mm, Varian don’t _stop_ ,” she told him, guiding his fingers into giving another squeeze before releasing him to run her fingertips along his jaw.

Varian sucked in a breath through his teeth, heat prickling the back of his neck at her explicit direction to continue fondling her. Testing the waters, he gingerly palmed the malleable flesh. When Rapunzel gave an approving moan he grinned and readjusted his hold slightly, giving a slower, firmer squeeze, enjoying how soft and supple her breast was before moving his thumb to lightly brush across her nipple.

Rapunzel shivered, a cooing sigh escaping her as she slid her hand down his neck to his chest, curling her fingers into the material of his shirt. Hands, mouth…was there anything Varian wasn’t skilled with?

Then he adjusted his position over her, and a heated blush spread across her cheeks as she felt something stiff poke her thigh. Oh right—there was still one _very_ important piece of equipment she needed to test out.

She bit her lip, rubbing her legs together in anticipation of things yet to come. It was all just so _exciting_.

Varian’s pulse thundered in his ears as he leaned down to kiss her again, feeling almost light-headed at just how much he was getting away with right now. He was touching the princess of Corona in ways he was _sure_ would land him in prison again if her father knew. But rather than make him question what he was doing, the thought sent a thrill through him. 

In fact, the knowledge that Rapunzel was here and willing to be with him despite anything the king might say was so exhilarating that it emboldened him to smooth a hand down her stomach to the overlapping fold of her skirt. His fingers skimmed the edge of the fabric, teasing both himself and the princess beneath him, who murmured impatiently against his lips and squirmed her hips, trying to get more contact.

Pulling back from the kiss to catch his breath, Varian was amused to see Rapunzel _pouting_ at him, and the urge to tease her grew tenfold. Grinning, he moved in again, his lips just barely brushing hers before he abruptly shifted course, dropping chaste little kisses over the freckles sprinkled across her nose and cheeks instead.

Rapunzel managed to stay pouty for all of two seconds before she melted under his affectionate kisses, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips and a giggle escaping her when he kissed the corner of her eye. Then his fingers slipped into the fold of her skirt and she squeaked, her cheeks reddening at the direct and unexpected contact.

But the light kisses didn’t stop, their playful innocence sharply contrasted by the heated spark of desire his fingers ignited as they trailed towards the juncture of her thighs, and she whined softly as she was left reeling from the conflicting sensations. 

When his fingers brushed the edge of her panties, Rapunzel was made acutely aware of how strongly she could feel her pulse between her legs. She squirmed, parting her thighs as far as she could while trapped between his knees. “Varian, _please_ —” she groaned, reaching up and twining her fingers into his hair.

“Mm…please what, princess?” he murmured against her cheek, even as he slowly caressed the sensitive skin of her inner thigh.

Rapunzel shivered. It wasn’t _fair_ how he was teasing her—not when she was anticipating so much. “Please…please touch me,” she implored him, tugged at his hair a little, trying to coax him into giving her what she wanted.

Oh, Varian had a _pretty_ good idea of how she wanted to be touched—she wasn’t exactly being subtle. But he couldn’t resist working her up a little more. It was just _too_ easy. “Well, technically I _am_ touching you,” he said, pulling back to shoot her an impertinent grin as he gave her thigh a light squeeze.

Rapunzel’s eyes flashed, and before he knew what hit him Varian was on his back, the breath knocked out of him as she straddled him, their hips notched together. His shock at being rolled quickly melted into awe as he stared up at her, her golden hair tumbling over her shoulders to make a curtain around them, ensuring that he could look at nothing but her.

“Wow…” he uttered breathlessly, blue eyes wide as he took her in.

His clear admiration caught Rapunzel off guard, and she blushed and smiled shyly, because wasn’t he just _so_ sweet? But then she remembered _why_ she’d flipped him over, and she shifted her hips ever so slightly, rubbing herself against his arousal and biting her lip as Varian sucked in a tight breath.

“P-princess…” he groaned, his hands finding her hips, and Rapunzel smiled slyly before leaning down and catching his lips in another kiss, this time deepening it before he could attempt to play coy with her again.

But Varian had no interest in teasing her anymore, instead wrapping his arms around her fully, one hand raking through her impossibly long hair as he returned the kiss with equal fervor.

Humming, Rapunzel’s hands slid into his parted shirt, exploring the lithe muscles of his chest and enjoying how he shivered at the touch. It was sometimes easy to forget that he was a farmer’s son since he preferred intellectual activities, but his lean musculature attested to years of helping with farm work, along with the rigors of working with heavy machinery.

She smoothed her hands down his flat stomach until her fingers touched the cool metal of his belt buckle, and she quickly set to work unfastening it, breaking the kiss to pull back and give it her full attention.

Blushing, Varian propped himself on his elbows to watch, amazed at how eager she was. For _him_. His heart beat just a little faster, still trying to comprehend how he’d managed to turn the head of someone as wonderful as Rapunzel.

Unfortunately, removing the belt fully wasn’t as straightforward as Rapunzel had assumed it would be, all of the little pouches and accessories getting in the way when she tried to tug it loose. Apparently Varian didn’t dress for easy access, although she’d at least managed to unbuckle it.

Eager and impatient to pick up where they’d left off, Varian planted his hands behind him and pushed himself up to catch her lips again. Realizing his intent, Rapunzel giggled and artfully dodged him so his lips merely brushed against her cheek, then gasped when he took it upon himself to roll his hips up into her.

Maybe it was the bunched material of his apron, but she was starting to get the feeling he had a _very_ nicely sized package, and she wriggled her hips a little, trying to get an even better feel.

Varian released a shuddering breath, and his hands slid to the sash at her waist, fingers fumbling to find the tucked end of the tightly wrapped fabric. When he finally located it, he wasted no time in yanking it free and unfurling the material, tossing it aside even as he braced a hand against Rapunzel’s back and rocked forward, steadily pushing against her until she was on her back again. Her wraparound skirt soon followed, easily discarded without the sash to hold it in place.

A rosy blush steadily spread down Rapunzel’s neck to her chest, and she nibbled at her lower lip, her shining eyes gazing up at Varian expectantly as he sat back on his knees. His hands smoothed down her sides, only stopping when they brushed against the lacy panties still hugging her hips.

He swallowed hard. It was one thing to take off her skirt, but it was something else entirely to remove the very last piece of clothing protecting her modesty. But…he wanted to see her. All of her.

Licking his suddenly dry lips, he gently rubbed her hips as he looked into her eyes. “Rapunzel…c-can I…I mean, may I?”

Rapunzel giggled. He was such a gentleman. “Please,” she murmured, smiling up at him encouragingly and even wiggling her hips a little to show how excited she was to take this next step with him.

Varian smiled back, finding her eagerness both endearing and comforting. Confidence bolstered, he scooted back on his knees before hooking his thumbs into the sides of her panties, unable to suppress a light blush as he slowly slid them off her hips. His gaze instinctively flicked to the side to preserve her modesty, before he realized how ridiculous he was being. Modesty wasn’t exactly the _point_ here.

Although…the mystery _was_ pretty exciting, so he kept his eyes averted as he finished slipping the undergarment down Rapunzel’s smooth legs, chuckling when she gave a little kick to fling the garment from her ankle.

Finally, he allowed his gaze to settle between her legs, and oh, was the wait _worth it_. His eyes slowly traveled to the soft brown curls nestled between her legs—right, she was naturally a brunette, wasn’t she?—and then a little lower, and he forgot how to breath for a few seconds, the sight sending a jolt of heat straight to his groin. She was everything he’d ever imagined and more, and he was struck with the overwhelming urge to touch her, explore her, _study_ her.

Rapunzel nibbled her lip, Varian’s intent gaze making her cheeks grow warmer with each passing second, and she fidgeted a little, flustered. “Varian…”

Her soft voice caught his attention, and he met her eyes with a smile. “Rapunzel…you’re _beautiful_ ,” he breathed, and before she could answer his fingers moved to gently touch her, the direct contact sending a bolt of heat up her spine as she gasped.

Varian’s fingers traced through her silky folds, memorizing the feel of her, how soft and warm she was, how—if he pressed the flats of his fingers against her—he could feel her pulse as she quivered beneath his touch. There was so much to explore, but at that moment, his focus was on finding one very particular spot. So he gently prodded at her, searching for the coveted sweet spot that was mentioned in nearly every book he’d read on the subject of sex.

His fingers finally grazed the sensitive nub, and Rapunzel jolted, her knees digging into his sides. “V-varian!” she gasped, squirming her hips under his touch. “Ah, th-that’s—mm!”

Thrilled by his discovery, Varian applied more pressure, working his fingers back and forth over the bundle of nerves, enjoying the soft noises that tumbled from Rapunzel’s lips as her back arched. This was even more effective than he’d hoped it would be, and he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

Rapunzel was certain she was going to be addicted to Varian’s touch by the time he was finished with her, each movement of his fingers intensifying the coiling tension in her lower belly. But it wasn’t enough…she wanted him inside of her so badly it almost ached. She brought one hand up to cup his cheek, fixing him with shining doe-eyes. “Varian, Varian _please_ …” she pleaded breathlessly.

Varian’s heart skipped a beat as their eyes met, and he instantly melted at her pleading look. He leaned down to kiss her, abandoning the bundle of nerves he’d been so ardently working to slide a single finger along her velvety center until the tip traced her slit.

Rapunzel tilted her hips towards him with a heavy breath, and he took the cue to slowly ease his finger inside of her, unable to suppress a groan as her silky heat enveloped him. She was so tight…he could only _imagine_ what she would feel like wrapped around—

His erection twitched within the confines of his pants, and he pulled back from the kiss, a blush spreading all the way to his ears. By this point he really shouldn’t feel so embarrassed at the mere thought of making love to Rapunzel—he was two knuckles deep inside of her already. And judging by her increased squirming, she was impatient for him to get on with it already, so he gently began to pump the digit inside of her, biting his lip when she let out a soft moan.

“Oh… _oh_ ,” she breathed, her head tipping back as she closed her eyes, letting herself get lost in the blissful sensation. “Varian~”

Hearing his name tumble from her lips in such a sultry tone sent a shiver of delight through Varian. Wanting to hear more sounds like that, he carefully slid a second finger inside of her and was rewarded with a sharp intake of breath that melted into a soft moan. Pleased with her reaction, he kissed her forehead before leaning back and thrusting the full length of his fingers deep inside of her.

Rapunzel cried out, one hand twisting in the sheets above her head while the other clutched desperately at the arm braced next to her hip. He pistoned his fingers even faster than before, stretching and rubbing her in ways that stole the breath from her lungs.

As he worked his fingers inside her tight passage, Varian took the opportunity to experiment, adjusting the speed, angle, and even the position of his fingers, eager to learn what drew the best reactions from the squirming princess. Her pleasured noises and breathless calls of his name served as the perfect indicators to gauge which techniques she enjoyed the most, and each new discovery filled him with a sense of gratification. There was a _science_ to this, and he intended to master it so he could give Rapunzel everything she deserved.

As far as Rapunzel was concerned, Varian was definitely proving that he was a genius. He seemed to know _just_ how to move his fingers to make her see stars, and she was more than happy to vocalize her pleasure. Then she felt him press his thumb to her clit, working it in a slow circle as he curled his fingers to brush a particularly sensitive spot inside of her, and that was her undoing.

“ _Varian_!” she cried out breathlessly, her back arching sharply as she dug her nails into his arm hard enough to leave crescent-shaped marks. But Varian hardly noticed the sting, all of his attention focused on Rapunzel as she shuddered and mewled, her sex tightening around his fingers until the tension ebbed from her body and she melted back against the sheets, panting softly.

He had never seen anything so beautiful.

“Was that—” He paused to swallow thickly, still affected by the sight of her coming undone. “Was that good?” he asked, moving his hand from beside her to gently rub her stomach, a doting expression on his face.

“Uh-huh…” Rapunzel managed, giving him an adoring, if not slightly dazed smile before her eyes slid closed, basking in her post-climactic bliss. 

Varian’s heart swelled with pride, pleased that he’d been able to make her feel so good. He hadn’t been sure he’d be able to do it his first time, but seeing her breathless and glowing gave him a massive confidence boost.

He finally pulled his fingers free of her sex, smiling at the soft noise she made, before lifting his hand to study the evidence of her release on his fingers.

“Fascinating,” he murmured, scissoring his fingers open and closed and watching the thin film the liquid created between them. “A natural lubricant…”

“Mm?” Cracking her eyes open, it took Rapunzel a few seconds to realize what he was looking at, but when she did her cheeks blazed. Shakily, she reached up and grabbed onto his shirt, tugging at it with an embarrassed whine. “V-varian! Don’t…don’t _stare_ at it!”

Varian jolted. “Oh! S-sorry…” he stammered, quickly looking around for something to wipe his fingers on. Somehow the idea of wiping them on the sheets or his clothes seemed crude, so he quickly popped them into his mouth. To his surprise, the taste wasn’t as unpleasant as he might have guessed—musky, but also a bit tangy? Certainly tolerable…and hadn’t he read that the pheromones it contained were considered to be a mild aphrodisiac?

A soft, muffled groan distracted him from his observations, and he glanced at Rapunzel to see her pressing her fist to her mouth, wide green eyes fixed where his fingers disappeared between his lips. Huh. Seemed like she had an oral fixation, if her reaction to him removing his glove with his teeth earlier was any indication. Good to know.

Slowly, he pulled his fingers free of his mouth with a wet pop, grinning as Rapunzel squirmed a little. He leaned down, eyes half-lidded. “Can I kiss you?” he asked, not wanting to force her if she didn’t want to deal with the aftertaste.

Rapunzel answered by grabbing him about the face and crushing her lips to his, leaving him breathless as she swept into his mouth, tasting herself on his tongue. She had no idea she could recover from an orgasm so fast, but against the odds Varian had managed to excite her again without even trying. He was _amazing_.

Oh, she was _far_ from done with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Multi-chapter spice, anyone? Legit, this thing got so long I made the decision to split it up over a few chapters so my readers don’t have to slog through an entire wall of text. More to come soon~!


	3. Chapter 3

Rapunzel’s enthusiastic response so soon after coming undone wasn’t something Varian had been expecting, but he certainly wasn’t complaining as she kissed him heatedly, greedily lapping her own essence from his tongue. He wasn’t entirely clear on the standard female recovery time from orgasm, but he suspected Rapunzel had bounced back faster than what was generally considered normal.

She really was _amazing_.

They were both left panting by the time Rapunzel finally broke the kiss to lovingly nudge her forehead against his. “You can kiss me any time, Varian,” she told him breathlessly.

The implication that kissing her might become a _regular_ thing made Varian’s chest swell with what felt like a small burst of sunshine, and there was no holding back his smile. “I’ll hold you to that,” he teased, already leaning in for another.

Rapunzel giggled and let him press a soft kiss to her lips, resting her forearms on his shoulders while her fingers played with the collar of his shirt. Come to think of it, Varian was still wearing all of his clothes, wasn’t he? Which was _really_ unfair, considering all she had on was an anklet.

Time to fix that.

“Varian…I think you might be overdressed,” she informed him, sitting up and sliding her hands down his back until her fingers brushed the knot securing his apron around his hips.

Varian blinked and his gaze darted down. Unbuttoned and disheveled as he was, he supposed he _was_ still fully dressed. Well, except for his gloves, which he was just now remembering he’d left out on the balcony. “Oh.”

“Let’s fix that, okay?” Rapunzel all but purred as she tugged his apron loose. Then her hands were at his chest again, fingers skimming along his collarbone to his shoulders, then down his arms, pushing the material of his shirt and vest off as she went. His sleeves were only halfway down his arms when she paused, a mischievous glint entering her eyes.

With a quick tug the fabric went taut around him, pinning his arms to his sides as she pulled him closer, and Varian wasn’t sure how to explain the thrill that shot through him as she ensnared him with his own shirt, his rapid heartbeat only increasing as she gave him a coy smile.

…was it weird that he kind of wished she was using her hair instead?

He wasn’t given much time to ponder this compulsive thought before Rapunzel was pressing kisses to his bared shoulders, making him groan as her petal-soft lips grazed his heated skin. Then she moved lower and nibbled at his collarbone, sending sparks of sensation shooting through Varian that had him sucking in a tight breath.

Rapunzel hummed, enjoying his reactions as she peppered his upper chest with kisses. She made a game out of coaxing little gasps and moans from him, spoiling him with the occasional open-mouthed kiss, her tongue tracing patterns on his skin.

But then his body gave a small jolt beneath her touch, and Rapunzel wondered at his strong reaction before realizing that her lips had brushed against his nipple. With a soft gasp she quickly pulled back, biting her lip. She hoped he wasn’t too upset…

Confused when she suddenly pulled away, Varian glanced down at her. “Wh-what is it?” he asked, wondering if he’d done something strange.

“Oh!” Rapunzel fidgeted a little, casting her eyes to the side for a brief moment before meeting his again. “It’s just…men don’t like being touched here, right?” she asked, releasing her hold on his shirt in favor of brushing her fingers just below his nipple

Varian shivered at her touch, his body tensing with anticipation. “I mean…maybe some men don’t?” he managed to articulate, realizing that she only had one man’s preferences to go off of. “But I think—well, it’s just…” His cheeks flushed. “There are a lot of nerve endings there s-so I think it would probably feel good…?” He’d certainly liked it when she’d touched him just a moment ago anyway.

Rapunzel visibly brightened. “Really?” Excited to try something new, she trailed her fingers to the dusky bud and lightly brushed it, gasping with delight when it hardened slightly under her touch. Varian drew in a shuddering breath through his nose, excited by the touch but also just a _little_ embarrassed that she was focusing so much attention on it.

But it felt _good_ and she was enjoying herself, so he certainly wasn’t going to voice any sort of complaint.

A flick of her finger against the sensitive nub had his arms moving to wrap around her, but the pull of fabric at his elbows reminded him that he was still caught in his sleeves. Shimmying his shoulders, he managed to shrug out of the material just as Rapunzel leaned down and pressed parted lips to his chest, her tongue lightly flicking his pebbled nipple at the very same moment she trailed a single finger down his stomach to the prominent bulge in his khaki pants.

“Ah!” the exclamation escaped him an octave higher than he would have liked, and he blushed. Rapunzel, however, found the sound quite endearing and giggled as she lifted herself to kiss his cheek, and Varian belatedly realized she was giving him a taste of his own medicine when she dragged that teasing finger over his clothed member. His breath left him in a ragged gasp, and he squirmed.

“Mm, _someone’s_ excited~” Rapunzel murmured, lightly kissing the tip of his nose as she adjusted her hand so she could palm him through his pants, cupping him and lightly squeezing.

With a keening gasp of her name, Varian fell back onto his elbows, his breath coming in light pants. Her fondling distracted him to the point that he didn’t even notice her other hand unbuttoning his trousers until she stopped her ministrations to pull his fly fully open. Then she was tugging down the waistband of his undergarments, and he gasped again as his erection sprang free, exposed to the cool air of the room.

“Oh…” Rapunzel breathed, eyes wide as she took him in. Having only seen one other man before, she hadn’t realized that Varian’s member might be distinctive to his physique—subtle differences that made him uniquely _Varian_. Longer, less veined and more angular towards the tip, and—to her delight—she noticed that he had a light dusting of _freckles_ along his length.

Varian felt like his face was on fire. No one had ever looked at any part of him this intently before…and certainly not with the sort of wide-eyed wonder Rapunzel was displaying as she moved a hand to tentatively run her fingertips from root to tip. He shuddered, his breath leaving him in heavy pants as his fingers dug into the sheets at his sides, arousal and bashfulness melding into an intense heat that flared along his spine.

Rapunzel bit her lip as she gently stroked the warm underside of his arousal, imagining how he would feel inside of her. But…they weren’t quite ready for that. There was something else she wanted to do for him first, to thank him for making her feel so wonderful just a few moments ago.

She leaned down, her warm breath ghosting over him, and Varian jolted, eyes wide when he realized what she was about to do. “R-rapunzel you don’t…you don’t have to— _ah_!”

Rapunzel pressed a kiss to the tip of his member, giggling when he gasped at the light touch. She lifted her head to look up at him, her tongue slipping out to lick away the salty droplets of precum smeared on her lips. “Are you okay?” she asked softly, reaching out and taking his hand, her thumb brushing along his knuckles reassuringly.

“Haaa…” Varian let out a long, hard breath. What was it about her touch that drove him so crazy? He’d _never_ felt anything close to this kind of pleasure when he’d touched himself—even the lightest brush of her fingers and lips was ten times more stimulating than any technique he’d ever tried. Was it an increase in tactile sensations due to the unpredictability of another person’s touch? A reaction triggered by mental stimulus?

Or maybe…it was simply the fact that he was hopelessly in love with her.

Varian’s musings halted at the feeling of Rapunzel’s hands gripping his hips, and then his mind blanked completely as the heat of her mouth enveloped him, her tongue slowly tracing around the head of his cock as her fingers wrapped around his curved length and stroked him. “R-rapun…ngh…” he couldn’t even manage her full name past the lump in his throat.

“Hm?” Rapunzel hummed in response, and Varian nearly choked, the vibration of her voice sending shockwaves of pleasure straight to his core. “God…” he whimpered, his fingers fumbling and curling into her golden hair as he trembled. It was so good, _too_ good.

Varian’s reactions were one of the most endearing things Rapunzel had ever seen. This really was his first time with someone, wasn’t it?

Well. She’d just have to make sure it was absolutely _amazing_ for him, wouldn’t she? With this thought in mind, she took him just a little deeper and gave a strong suck.

“Agh!” Varian’s back arched as the hand tangled in her hair gave an involuntary tug, earning a pleased moan from Rapunzel as she continued to work him with her mouth, her fingers giving the base of his cock a firm squeeze.

Varian’s breath was coming fast and hard through his teeth, sweat matting his bangs to his forehead as he lost himself to the swirling heat building inside of him, every movement Rapunzel made working him to a fever pitch. The hand gripping the sheets flew up and tangled in his own hair, knocking his goggles off his head as he tugged at the dark strands in an attempt to ground himself.

Releasing him from her mouth with a wet pop, Rapunzel kissed her way down his straining erection before flattening her tongue on the underside and slowly running the pliant muscle along his entire length, sending a full body shiver from Varian’s curling toes to the roots of his hair.

“Oh _princess_ ,” he gasped, still reeling as she wrapped her lips around the tip of him again, her tongue rubbing the sensitive underside of his head. How did she _know_ how to do all of this stuff?!

…okay, that answer was obvious. Honestly, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to thank Eugene or punch him.

Another vibrating hum and the feel of Rapunzel’s fingers trailing to gently fondle his testes robbed him of rational thought, and he let out a keening groan as he involuntarily bucked into her mouth. Rapunzel gave a muffled squeak and pulled back, her hands going to his hips and pressing down to keep him still.

Varian immediately realized what he’d done wrong. “S-sorry…” he stuttered, the back of his neck and ears prickling with mortification at making such a thoughtless blunder. He knew better!

While his brief slip-up had caught Rapunzel off-guard, she didn’t really mind—this was new to him, after all. And it was obvious he was getting pretty worked up, so she gave him a reassuring smile. “It’s okay, Varian,” she cooed, rubbing her thumbs in little circles on his hips to soothe him before dipping her head again.

Varian gasped as she took as much of him as she could comfortably fit in her mouth—about half of his length—and began to bob her head up and down, letting him slide over her tongue again and again. His gasps and moans spurred her on, and she glanced up to lock eyes with him through lowered lashes.

Pleasure rocked through Varian with each movement of Rapunzel’s blonde head, and the smoldering intensity of those beautiful green eyes stole his breath away. “Rapunzel!” he gasped, feeling the tell-tale coiling tightness in his lower belly that signaled he was on the brink of completion. “W-wait, you...agh...ha-have to—“ he ran out of the breath needed to finish his warning as his hips twitched beneath her hands.

But Rapunzel got the message, and she pulled away with a giggle, wrapping one hand around him to finish the job. Grabbing his apron from beside them, she wrapped the fabric around his tip as she pumped his shaft with quick, jerking motions. “Varian~” she cooed sweetly. “Let go for me?”

That was all it took, and Varian let out a hoarse cry, his back arching sharply he came harder than he ever had in his life. When he was fully spent, he collapsed back onto the bed, chest heaving and utterly blissed out.

Bundling up the sullied apron, Rapunzel tossed it off the side of the bed before moving to lay next to him, brushing his sweat-slicked bangs back from his flushed face and smiling at him fondly. He was _so_ handsome. “Was that good?” she asked, echoing his question from before, but also genuinely curious to know if he’d enjoyed himself as much as he’d seemed to.

"Ohhhh," he groaned, before rolling his head to look at her, a blissful smile on his face. " _S-so_ good," he managed to murmur, lifting an unsteady hand to her cheek. "Love you.”

“Oh!” Rapunzel’s face absolutely lit up as she took his hand, holding it to her cheek adoringly. “I love you too, Varian~” Then she leaned in and caught his lips in a sweet kiss, pouring all of her love and adoration for him into each movement of her lips against his.

If Varian thought he was feeling euphoric before, there was no word to describe the immense, all-encompassing rapture that flooded him at hearing Rapunzel return his feelings. And it was made even _better_ when she sealed it with a kiss so tender that it made his heart feel like it was melting.

He hardly felt the heaviness in his limbs as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and never wanting to let go. He could die happy now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, this chapter is indeed a tad shorter than the previous ones, but only because after 2 months of waiting, I feel my readers deserve SOMETHING while I continue to wrestle with syntax for what was originally supposed to be the rest of this chapter. More spice to come~


	4. Chapter 4

The kiss lasted just a few moments longer before Rapunzel pulled back to give Varian the chance to breath again, taking the opportunity to wiggle into a more comfortable position against him, one hand coming to rest on his chest as she nuzzled into his neck. As he took a few moments to recover, she traced idle patterns on his chest with her fingertips, marveling at his smooth, firm musculature.

The comfortable silence was finally broken when Varian released a long sigh and shifted slightly, craning his neck to press a kiss to the top of Rapunzel’s head. “You’re amazing…” he said softly, smiling at her when she lifted her head to look at him.

She smiled back, shimmying closer to gently nudge her nose against his, and Varian chuckled before his grin turned just a touch mischievous. He gave a playful growl and nipped the tip of her nose.

Rapunzel squeaked before ducking her head to press her face into his shoulder to hide her widening grin. But Varian wasn’t having any of that, and he rallied enough energy to roll over with her, trying to wriggle his face between them, and Rapunzel was reduced to a giggling mess as Varian’s cheek rubbed against hers, trying to squirm free of him. “Varian!”

“You're not getting away~” he teased, before prompting yet another squeak from her when he gently nipped her ear instead. Man, did he love making her do that.

Laughing, Rapunzel pressed her ear to her shoulder as she finally managed to squirm out from under him and sit up, but was foiled when Varian wrapped both arms around her waist and buried his face in her chest.

“Oh!” Her surprise was short-lived, soon fading to fond acceptance as she let her body relax in his hold. He was like an affectionate, oversized puppy, wasn’t he? She combed her fingers through his hair, smiling as he let out a contented sigh against her skin. “Hm, this is nice~”

“Mm-hm,” he agreed, his voice muffled by her cleavage as he nuzzled further into her. She was so soft and warm…

Rapunzel gently stroked her fingers down the back of Varian’s neck and between his shoulder blades, smiling when they shimmied with obvious pleasure. So she continued, her other hand resting comfortably at the back of his head, playing with his soft dark locks until he finally pulled his head away from her chest to look up at her. “Rapunzel?”

“Hm?” she responded as he planted one hand next to her on the bed, pushing himself up until he was face-to-face with her.

Then he grinned and gave her nose another nip.

“Eek!” Rapunzel dissolved into giggles. He’d made her let her guard down! She supposed that’s what she got for underestimating him.

Smiling fondly, Varian took the opportunity to shift their positions, propping his back against her upholstered headboard as he tugged her to sit in his lap. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pressed his forehead to hers, content to wait for her laughter to subside. She was so cute.

“You’re diabolical~” Rapunzel scolded him playfully, giving his chest a harmless little smack before laying a light peck on his lips.

Varian hummed in agreement, before snaking a hand between them and squeezing her breast, taking full advantage of her tiny gasp to sweep his tongue between her parted lips.

“Mm…” Rapunzel happily allowed Varian to deepen the kiss, the slide of his tongue against hers prompting soft noises from her throat as she wrapped her arms around his neck, absolutely melting as his clever fingers massaged her breast. Her fingers tangled into the hair at the base of his neck when he pressed the pad of his thumb to her nipple and worked it in a slow circle, their kiss finally breaking as her head tipped back in pleasure.

But Varian was undeterred, pressing kisses beneath her upturned chin, then down the column of her throat. Finding her pulse, he paused to gently suck at it, relishing in her groan of approval.

“Oh _Varian~_ ” Rapunzel sighed, her back arching, pushing herself further into his touch—then gasping when he tweaked the peak of her breast, a shiver rolling through her.

Varian noticed her favorable reaction and smirked against her skin. He might not have much in the way of practice, but that didn’t mean he didn’t know a few tricks. “You like that, princess?” he murmured into her neck, gently rolling her nipple between his fingers as he kissed down to her shoulder.

“A-ah… _yes_ ,” Rapunzel moaned, her fingers tightening in his hair as she squirmed just a little.

Varian gave a soft moan of his own, a familiar pressure building in his lower stomach as his shaft gave a slight twitch, signaling the rekindling of his own arousal. It was sort of impossible to prevent when he had a gorgeous princess sitting in his lap, moving her hips in ways that should be _illegal_.

Rapunzel squeaked as he gave her nipple a strong tug, the sharp jolt of pleasure making something jump in the pit of her stomach.

Varian hummed, amused by her reaction. “And what else do you like?” he asked, soothing her by rolling his thumb into one of the pressure points on her lower back. Thus far he’d been pretty successful at giving Rapunzel pleasure, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to know _every_ little thing that would make her melt for him.

And besides that…a little dirty talk never hurt anyone.

Rapunzel groaned, having trouble catching any of the coherent thoughts that so easily flitted from her mind when he touched her like _that_. “Um...I, uh—“ She sucked in a shaky breath when he pressed another spot _just_ right. “B-biting,” she managed to gasp. “I— _mm_!”

She couldn’t contain a moan when Varian immediately delivered on her request, his teeth lightly pinching the skin of her shoulder. “Like that?” he asked, before shifting to nip the side of her neck too.

The fleeting sparks of pleasure his gentle bites elicited made Rapunzel’s breath catch. But…it wasn’t _exactly_ what she’d had in mind. “W-well…close,” she told him, her cheeks pinkening.

Varian’s eyes widened with realization, and he slowly lifted his head to look at her. The flush of her cheeks was all the confirmation he needed, and the corner of his mouth tipped into a devious smirk. “Ah,” He leaned in close, eyes dark and half-lidded. “You want it _harder_.”

He’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy how Rapunzel’s face absolutely blazed at his provocative wording, and he fondly wondered how she could look both adorable and alluring at the same time.

Chuckling, he tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “I can do that for you, princess,” he told her huskily, before lowering his face to the juncture of her neck and shoulder. He pressed a soft kiss there, feeling her pulse race beneath his lips…before baring his teeth and sinking them into the tender flesh.

“ _Varian_!” Rapunzel cried out as heat jolted through her veins, her body shuddering as her head tipped back in bliss. Varian groaned against her as her nails dug into his scalp, and he eased up to suck at the skin, his tongue tracing the shallow indents left behind by his teeth.

Rapunzel swallowed hard, her chest heaving as she slid her hands down to clutch at Varian’s upper back, holding him tightly as he pressed a line of kisses up her neck. “Th-that was— _ah_!” She was robbed of her chance to praise him when his teeth clamped down _again_ , making her gasp raggedly as her nails raked across his shoulder blades.

Varian yelped at the unexpected sting, his back arching off the headboard before he dropped his head to her shoulder, panting and trembling.

“Oh!” Rapunzel exclaimed, aghast. She hadn’t meant to hurt him! “Varian, I’m _so_ sorry, I didn’t mean—” her apology petered into a squeak as his arms tightened around her.

“…do it _again_ ,” he mumbled, his voice low and needy, heart pounding with anticipation as he turned his head to press a heated kiss to the side of her neck.

Rapunzel’s eyes widened. _Oh_. Apparently she wasn’t the only one who liked a little bit of rough treatment.

Curling her fingers against his back, she slowly dragged her nails down his spine, leaving raised white lines that quickly faded to pink as Varian shuddered and gave a low whine. “R-rapunzel…”

Rapunzel’s giggle faded into a breathy gasp when he squeezed her tight to his chest, his own blunt nails digging into her shoulder and lower back. “I…guess you like that then…?”

“Y-yeah…” Varian agreed, a bit surprised himself. He had no idea being clawed could feel so _good_. Sure it kind of stung, but it was oddly invigorating—nothing like the times Ruddiger had accidentally scratched him.

Rapunzel couldn’t help the sly smile that curled the corners of her lips. “And…what _else_ do you like?” she asked him coyly, shuffling her hips just a little closer in his lap until his erection pressed against her lower belly.

Varian’s eyes snapped open at the feel of her smooth skin brushing the sensitive underside of his member, and he couldn’t resist rolling his hips against her, his length gliding against her sweat-slicked skin. “You,” he groaned.

Rapunzel’s heart fluttered in her chest, not expecting that particular answer. “Me?”

“I want _you_ , Rapunzel,” he elaborated, his voice heavy with need as he pulled back to look at her, moving one hand to brush away a stray lock of golden hair. “Please?” His blue eyes searched hers pleadingly.

The raw need in his voice sent shivers racing up and down Rapunzel’s spine, and she slid her hands from his shoulders to the crook of his arms. “I want you too, Varian,” she breathed, then pushed his arms down to free herself from his hold.

Varian was momentarily confused until she scooted backwards out of his lap, her fingers finding the waistband of his pants and undergarments and tugging them down as she went. He swallowed hard, heat flooding his face as she paused to work off his boots, tossing them off the side of the bed before tugging his clothes free of his ankles, leaving him just as bare as she was.

He was suddenly gripped with a feeling of overwhelming vulnerability. He’d never actually been completely naked in front of someone before. At least…not like _this_ , and small, niggling doubts began to surface in his mind. He certainly didn’t think of himself as unattractive, but what if—

He hadn’t realized that he’d instinctively drawn his legs up to cover himself and sunk down into the pillows until Rapunzel placed a gentle hand on his bent knee. “Varian…” she said softly. “You don’t have to hide.” Tipping her head, she rested her cheek on his knee, her thumb rubbing his thigh soothingly as she met his gaze with eyes shining with love and acceptance. She gently pressed down on his leg, and with a deep breath, Varian gave in and lowered them, heat spreading across his cheeks and tinging the tops of his ears red.

“Rapunzel…” he murmured, his voice hitching with emotion as he reached for her, and she gladly moved forward, pressing her cheek into his hand as she settled herself into his lap once more.

“Varian, you’re _beautiful_ ,” Rapunzel assured him, leaving Varian momentarily speechless as she turned her head into his touch and softly kissed his palm. Then she braced her hands on his firm stomach and lifted herself, angling her hips until she was hovering over his pulsing length, looking down at him through lowered lashes as she posed the question he’d only ever dreamed of hearing from her lips: “Make love to me?”

“ _Yes_ ,” he breathed, heady excitement making his pulse quicken as he drank in the sight of the princess he adored aligning herself to take him inside of her. She’d called him beautiful just a moment ago, but he couldn’t hold a candle to her. She was _radiant_.

Slowly, she lowered herself, her slick folds parting around the head of his member as it nudged against her entrance. She moaned at the feel of him throbbing against her, biting her lip as she allowed herself to gradually sink down atop him, her eyes still locked with his.

Varian’s chest heaved, a low groan leaving him at the agonizingly slow pace of their joining. It was so tempting to just snap his hips up, to bury himself fully in her tight heat, to roll her over and drive into her until she was crying out his name. But he restrained himself. He trusted Rapunzel, trusted her to lead, to make love to him in a way that would give them both pleasure.

No sooner did he think this than Rapunzel’s hips finally dropped to take him fully, making him gasp as the rippling walls of her passage contracted around him, squeezing him so tightly he saw stars for a split second.

“Oh _Varian_ ~” Rapunzel cooed breathlessly, her eyes fluttering shut so she could savor just how good it felt to be completely filled by him, the delicious stretch of her walls sending little shivers along her spine. Taking a deep breath, she worked her hips in a slow, circular motion, wanting to feel the press of him from all angles as she acquainted herself with the shape of him, and Varian nearly choked.

“R-rapunzel,” he moaned, eyes fixed on the princess atop him as she slid her hands up into her hair, gathering the golden strands into a messy bundle in a half-hearted attempt to keep them from falling over her face. She was _gorgeous_ , and Varian couldn’t keep himself from lifting his hands to her hips, fingers gripping the supple flesh as she continued to pivot atop him.

“Mm, you feel so _good_ inside of me~” Rapunzel crooned, one hand running down her throat and between her breasts. Her praise and wandering hand made an intense jolt of arousal stir in Varian’s core, and his hips gave an involuntarily thrust beneath her.

“Ah! _Yes_ , just like that~” she encouraged him, before letting out a keening moan as he obliged her with a more powerful pump of his hips that made her breasts give an enticing jiggle.

Rapunzel’s hair tumbled back down around her shoulders as both hands moved to slide along her belly, finding his hands with hers and pulling them from her hips. Entwining their fingers, she used their hold to steady herself as she worked her hips atop him, rising and falling to meet each thrust with a sensuous twist of her hips. Each time he fully sheathed himself she tilted forward to grind her clit against his pelvis, keening softly as the electric jolts of sensation made her insides quiver like jelly.

Bliss wasn’t strong enough of a word to describe what Varian was feeling, his nervous system alight with a deep pulsing pleasure that only built with each thrust of his straining erection into her tight silken heat. Combined with the alluring sway of her breasts as she undulated atop him and the expression of rapture on her beautiful face—cheeks rosy and soft pink lips parted to release breathy pants and mewls of pleasure—he was completely and utterly captivated.

Keeping her fingers firmly clasped between his, Varian spread his arms out at his sides, forcing Rapunzel to lean down into him, her back arching as her breasts brushed against his chest. Tight nipples dragged over his skin with each thrust as he continued to pump into her, making her moan at the delicious friction. But contrary to his wishes, she still wasn’t close enough to kiss properly, so Varian released her hands to shove himself up from the pillows, grabbing her hips to keep her in place as he folded his legs beneath her for leverage.

“Oh!” Rapunzel was surprised by the change in position, but when he hungrily crushed his lips to hers she understood his intent and gave an approving moan, one hand snaking behind his head to bury itself in his thick hair while the other clutched at his shoulder for balance.

Sliding his hands to squeeze the pliant flesh of her rear, Varian rutted into her with quick, shallow thrusts that prompted her to release a series of soft little mewls into their kiss. It was only out of necessity that Varian finally broke the kiss, breathing hard as he lifted her until only the head of his cock remained inside of her. He held her there for a moment, just enough time to make her squirm as he kissed her neck, before slamming her back down as he snapped his hips up to meet her.

Rapunzel saw stars as Varian roughly impaled her on his throbbing length, throwing her head back with a gasp as her thighs tightened against his sides. “V-varian!” she squeaked, before giving a whimpering moan as he lifted her again.

The next jolt of white-hot pleasure was utter bliss, as was the next. But there was something about the brief pause between each thrust that frustrated her. “V-varian please…go— _mm!_ —f-faster,” she begged him, twisting her fingers into his hair with a sharp tug. She didn’t want to lose the feverish high of ecstasy he was kindling inside of her—she wanted it to _burst_.

Varian groaned at the tight pull of his hair. She wanted him to go _faster_? He wasn’t sure that would work in this position—he’d have to sacrifice intensity for velocity, and he was pretty sure that wasn’t what she wanted. What he needed was to build momentum in a way that would please his princess. So what if he...

Rapunzel gasped as he abruptly pitched forward, her back hitting the sheets, hair sticking to sweat-slicked skin. Bracing his hands on either side of her head, Varian wasted no time in giving her exactly what she asked for, slamming forward to sink into her softness up to the hilt. Rapunzel cried out, her nails biting into his shoulder and scalp, making Varian groan as his hips pistoning like one of the well-oiled machines in his lab, building up that momentum they both so craved.

Rapunzel could feel the coil of heat tightening in her belly with each hard jolt of mind-numbing pleasure, her hold on Varian serving as the only thing keeping her grounded. She moaned out words of encouragement, begging him to keep going, telling him how much she loved the feel of him inside her, how talented he was, how much she loved _him_.

Sweat trickled down the center of Varian’s back as his muscles flexed and shifted with each movement of his hips, the rhythmic sound of their flesh meeting mixing with the sweet lilt of Rapunzel’s voice. Her praises and affirmations only heightened his already overwhelming desire for her, and he could feel the swirling heat inside of him tightening into a knot of pure carnal pleasure. He wasn’t going to last much longer.

Ducking his head down, he buried his face in the crook of her neck, nipping and sucking at the skin in ways that were sure to leave marks. Rapunzel released a broken whine, arching her neck to give him better access, every touch and sensation driving her closer and closer to the peak of her pleasure.

Pulling his hips back until only the tip of his erection remained inside of her, Varian breathed her name like a prayer before slamming himself into her with all the force he could muster, sinking his teeth into the tender flesh of her neck.

The tightness in her stomach suddenly exploded outwards, plunging Rapunzel into a world of utter bliss as her orgasm overcame her. Brilliant fragments of color danced across her vision as every nerve ending radiated ecstasy, her body arching sharply up into him, trembling as she clung to him.

The feminine muscles of her sex gripped Varian tightly as she came undone, flexing in pulsating waves, milking and squeezing him, and he was helpless to resist the rush of intense, raw pleasure that consumed him as he shot his load deep inside of her, her name tumbling from his lips in a raspy gasp of pure adoration before he collapsed into her arms.

The comforting pressure of his body atop hers made Rapunzel give a soft moan, the hand in his hair gently combing through the strands as she basked in the hazy bliss that followed the mind-blowing orgasm he’d given her.

Varian’s trembling arms slid beneath her to hold her close, his mind reeling from the intensity of his orgasm as he rolled onto his side with her, still intimately nestled within her. With a soft sigh, Rapunzel nuzzled herself against him, listening to the hard beat of his heart as he slowly came down from his high.

“I love you… _so_ much,” Varian managed to say between panting breaths.

“Mm…I love you too,” Rapunzel cooed, tilting her head to press a soft kiss to his neck.

Varian felt like there was a smile permanently stuck to his face as Rapunzel continued to drop tender kisses over his neck and jaw. Was there anything better than this?

Squeezing her just a bit tighter, he rolled onto his back, his hips shifting to finally allow his softening member to slip free of her warm passage. Rapunzel let out a soft whine at the loss, but was quieted by Varian’s soft kisses atop her head.

He hummed, savoring the quiet intimacy for just a moment longer before finally deciding to share his important scientific finding with the woman in his arms.

“Seven-hundred and fifty-nine,” he murmured as he gently ran his fingertips up and down her spine.

“Hm?” Rapunzel lifted her head from his chest to give him an inquisitive look. “Seven-hundred and fifty-nine of what?”

“Freckles,” he clarified, smiling toothily as he lifted a finger to gently boop the tip of her nose.

Rapunzel stared at him for a single bewildered moment before she remembered that all of this had started because he’d been counting her freckles. Upon this realization, she broke into a fit of giggles, impressed by his dedication. “Were you counting this whole time?”

"Mm-hm," Varian hummed, his grin widening. "Otherwise we'd have incomplete data."

“I shouldn’t have expected anything less from you,” Rapunzel told him fondly, brushing his bangs from his eyes. Then the corners of her lips tipped into a flirtatious smirk. “But if you ever need data on anything else…” She pressed herself into him, allowing her soft curves to mold against his musculature.

“Oh, I might have a few ideas~” Varian purred slyly, cupping her cheek in his hand and guiding her in for a kiss. She met his lips in a gentle caress that was only broken when he couldn’t suppress a wide yawn, turning his head and blushing a little.

His deep, tired inhalation prompted a giggle from Rapunzel that swiftly transitioned into a yawn of her own, and she laid her head against his chest again. “Mm, later,” she murmured, reaching for her blanket and pulling it to cover them both. Varian hummed his agreement and snuggled his cheek against the top of her head, heavy eyes finally drifting shut as he soaked in the warmth and love radiating from the woman he adored.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I could end the story here…but I’ve got a few ideas for some cute aftercare and continued spicy times that might be of interest to anyone looking for some more Varipunzel goodness. Stay tuned~


End file.
